The Marauders: In the Beginning
by Frog-Princess1
Summary: The Marauders in their first early years at Hogwarts. Just when you think you know your friends, their secrets are brought out in the open - and how will everyone take it? Chapter 10 has been uploaded!
1. Potter and Black Again

The Marauders: In The Beginning  
Chapter One: Potter and Black Again  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All characters were created by J. K. Rowling, not me.  
  
A/N: Okay, this is the first HP fic I've uploaded here at ff.net. The plot involves the Marauders in their early years - their very first year at Hogwarts, in fact. There may be a few minor mistakes. For example, I put Lily in Gryffindor even though it's possible she belonged to a different house, such as Ravenclaw. And was Dumbledore the headmaster during the time James was in school? Anyway, enough from me. Please read and review to tell me what you think. Constructive criticism appreciated.  
  
  
  
James and Sirius were on their way to the headmaster's office. Again. It was the third time in the second week (of their first year) that they'd been sent there for "disrupting class."  
  
"Improving it," Sirius managed to say between peals of laughter. "Classes around here are so dull... it's not like it's our fault Professor Binns doesn't have a proper sense of humor!" He put on a mock-innocent expression. "Is it such a crime, trying to provide our fellow students with a bit of good, wholesome entertainment?"  
  
Both boys burst out laughing once more. "Besides," James added once the giggles had subsided enough to speak normally. "Did you see the look on Snape's face when the Dungbomb went off? 'Teacher, teacher, it was Potter and Black again!' " he mimicked. "It was priceless!"  
  
They reached the end of the corridor. Sirius bumped into someone as he and James were turning a corner. The boy he'd walked into stumbled backwards, lost his balance, and fell.  
  
"Oh - hey, sorry about that," said Sirius, helping him up. "Er... Remus, isn't it?"  
  
James also recognized him. "You're in Gryffindor, too," he said.  
  
Remus was almost as tall as Sirius, though his frame was slight, and his complexion rather pale. He had light brown hair and gray eyes. He just nodded and gave a weak smile. It looked as though he hadn't slept in days.  
  
"I'm James, and this is my friend, Sirius," James said with a grin. "Well, my partner in crime, more like," he added slyly.  
  
Sirius laughed. "We just set a Dungbomb on some of the Slytherins," he said proudly, by way of an explanation. "What were you in for?"  
  
"What was I... in for?" Remus repeated, confused. Sirius nodded toward the door to the headmaster's office. "Yeah," he said. "What'd you do?"  
  
"Oh," Remus replied. "It was nothing like that, I... I just..." He looked extremely uncomfortable. "There was a mix-up in my course schedule," he said hurriedly. "Well, I guess I'd better be going... Headmaster Dumbledore's really nice, by the way, hope he goes easy on you with your punishment..."  
  
And he walked off before James or Sirius could utter another word.  
  
"He seems okay," said James. "Bit high-strung maybe." Sirius agreed, and the two of them continued toward their destination, sniggering occasionally at their own displays of cleverness and skill.  
  
  
  
Later, when all the students were enjoying dinner in the Great Hall, the two friends were recounting their tale to a few of the other Gryffindors. Peter chuckled nervously whenever they came to a particularly funny part in the story, but mainly just sat listening intently, admiration in his beady eyes.  
  
"And we ended up getting a detention, but believe me, it was worth it," said Sirius with his mouth full of mashed potatoes.  
  
"James Potter, that was a rotten thing to do," said one of the other first years, catching his eye, although he noticed she was smiling as she said this. He grinned back at the pretty redhead mischeviously, causing her to blush and look away. For first years, James and Sirius seemed awfully sure of themselves.  
  
Severus Snape still glowered at them angrily from the Slytherin table. Sirius made a nasty face at him from across the Hall, then quickly looked away before a teacher could spot him.  
  
"Look!" he said, directing his attention upward. "You can actually see the moon through the enchanted ceiling. Does that happen often?"  
  
Some of the other students at the table followed Sirius' gaze. The moon was just beginning to come up. "No," replied Griffin, a fifth year. "Never seen that before..."  
  
"It's almost full," noted one of the Gryffindors. It was Remus. He spoke very softly when he said this, a hint of anxiety in his voice.  
  
"Hmm," said Sirius, shrugging. "Odd." He returned to his meal in time to see Remus approaching one of the teachers, who nodded to him absent- mindedly. Remus, taking quick strides, started toward one of the exits of the Great Hall.  
  
James watched him leave, a puzzled look on his face. "You know, Sirius," he said to his friend in a low voice. "We really don't know Remus too well. I mean, we're in the same house. We're in the same year. We're in the same dormitory and we barely know anything about him."  
  
Sirius was silent. "Poor bloke's always by himself, isn't he?" he said finally. "It must be tough for him."  
  
After a moment, Sirius' face broke into a smile. "Well, that's enough of that," he said, flustered. "Guess we'll just have to get to know him, then, won't we, James?"  
  
"I was worried," said James. "You were actually serious there for a second, Sirius."  
  
Sirius glared. "Yeah, well... what about you?" he finished lamely. He hated being made fun of for his name. James just laughed, and Sirius joined him soon enough, but they finished the rest of their dinner in silence, thinking of Remus' constant solitude.  
  
  
  
A/N: What did you think? The next chapter talks a bit about Lupin =) Please read and review!  
  



	2. Remus

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Two: Remus  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All characters were created by J. K. Rowling, not me.  
  
  
  
Remus had barely eaten anything at dinner. He was feeling sick, his face feverishly hot, but he didn't go to the nurse. She wouldn't have been able to do much to help.  
  
Back in the boy's dormitory, Remus had half a mind to collapse on his bed at that very moment, but he fought it. Instead, he crossed the room, pushed open the window, and leaned out into the cool night air, staring at the moon.  
  
Remus hated being different. He couldn't stand having a secret that must be kept from everyone. It meant never letting his guard down, and never knowing what it was like to have a close friend. The visit that afternoon with the headmaster had hardly made him feel any better.  
  
For one thing, what if part of the plan failed? Remus could hardly bear to imagine it. Unless everything worked perfectly in accordance with the headmaster's plan, there was no telling how bad the damage would be.  
  
He appeared such a harmless young boy. But the reality of the situation was that Remus Lupin was a danger to everyone around him.  
  
Remus sat there staring out the window for quite a while. He lost track of what time it was. The moon had risen further up into the night sky. Leaning over a little further to get a good look at the grounds, he spotted a small, rather pathetic little tree that was just beginning to spring up.  
  
Remus heaved a great sigh, his mind filled with doubts.  
  
At that moment, James and Sirius walked into the room. "Hi, Remus," said Sirius.  
  
"Didn't know you were in here." Remus was a faded silhouette in the dim moonlight streaming in through the window. He turned when the others greeted him, suddenly snapping back to reality, and gave a small, awkward wave.  
  
"Er... d'you always sit in the dark like this? OW!" James jabbed his friend in the ribs. "What he means is, would you mind if we lit a few candles or something? It's a bit dark."  
  
"I don't mind," said Remus.  
  
James got out his wand eagerly, but the happiness on his face disintegrated as he realized he hadn't yet learned any spells that would be of use. "What're you waiting for, James?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Aduro," said Remus, who had gotten out his wand. Fire jumped to each of the candles on the walls, shining bright as the flames began to blaze steadily. "Wow!" exclaimed James and Sirius in unison. They were first years, after all, so regardless of any previous exposure to magic at home, they were still very impressed to see someone their age perform what looked like an advanced spell. "Where did you learn that?"  
  
"Er... in class," Remus admitted, smiling. "Charms. Yesterday. It's simple, really."  
  
"Oh," muttered James. "Right." Paying attention in class - why hadn't he thought of that?  
  
"So, what's up?" Sirius asked casually. "We saw you go at dinner. You left a full plate of Hogwarts cookin'!" He patted his stomach. "Are you feeling alright?"  
  
Remus laughed, but he was looking off into the distance. "I'm feeling a little ill tonight," he said. "I couldn't finish my dinner... must be a fever or something coming on."  
  
"Why not go to Madam Pomfrey?" James suggested.  
  
Remus shrugged. "Thanks," he said cheerfully, smiling, "but I'll be alright in a day or so. Anyway, I'd be sick either way, so it might as well not be in that stuffy old room, right?" By the tone of his voice, he didn't really want to continue with the subject.  
  
"Well, hope you feel better soon," Sirius said, after a brief silence, with a polite smile.  
  
"Thanks. I'm sure I will." Remus yawned. "Guess I should get a bit of rest now," he said. "Good night."  
  
"'Night," replied the two boys as Remus drew the curtains around his four- poster. After changing into his pajamas, he got into bed and pulled up the covers, but lay awake for a short time listening to James and Sirius. They were still talking.  
  
"Hey, James... what's up with you and that redhead?"  
  
Remus didn't know it, but James was blushing. "Nothing," he said.  
  
"Sure, sure... that explains why she was gawking at you and batting her eyelashes." Sirius stopped a moment to enjoy the effect these words had. James was turning very red. Sirius added, "Yeah, James, I saw," before his friend could reply.  
  
"It's just Lily," James said hurriedly. "You're crazy! I don't like her! I mean... she is nice, and everything... but, er... prob'ly got some silly crush on me, you know."  
  
"Yeah, maybe. Or maybe you're just a little too proud to admit that it's the other way around?"  
  
"Come on, man, get ahold of yourself! I'm only eleven!"  
  
"Sure, sure."  
  
"Would you stop saying that?"  
  
"Why, sure, James, whatever you say!"  
  
This went on quite some time before James and Sirius fell silent. "D'you think he's asleep now?" James whispered. Remus had gone to bed earlier than most of the other Gryffindors, because he wasn't feeling well, so there was still plenty of time for the rest of the students, who were still in the common room, before they had to turn in.  
  
"I reckon he is," Sirius replied, in a quiet tone.  
  
He wasn't.  
  
"Did you see him when we came in? Just sitting there all by himself. Made me feel kinda... I dunno... bad."  
  
By now, Remus could feel his face and ears burning not with sickness, but with an emotion like anger, lacking in the same kind of intensity, but still there - a dull and throbbing ache. They pitied him. Was that why they had been hanging around more than usual?  
  
"Yeah," James agreed. "But... something tells me he can take care of himself. I mean, he might not look it, and things can't be easy for him, but I bet you he's been through a lot."  
  
Sirius chuckled quietly. "Strong or not, maybe all he needs is a couple of friends like us looking out for him," he said.  
  
As Remus heard this, the angry feeling gradually began to dissipate, until it had vanished altogether. Dumbledore had warned him that day not to tell anyone about his "special circumstances." But until that night, Remus had never even had the opportunity to reveal this secret to others, because no one had ever given him a second thought.  
  
He would never be normal again, but maybe he was finally beginning to belong. And that, he thought, couldn't be all bad. Just as long as he kept his secret... everything would be fine...  
  
Finally, he closed his eyes for a bit of much-needed rest.  
  
  
  
A/N: At this point in time, I've only finished two chapters, but I'm working on the third and it should be up soon. Comments or constructive criticism would be appreciated, but no flames, please! =)  
  



	3. Snape Slips Up

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Three: Snape Slips Up  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are the creations of J. K. Rowling and not me.  
  
A/N: Another encounter with Snape is ahead, and we witness a very different, rarely-seen side of Lupin. (Just a minor warning - there may be a few mistakes, as I had a bit of difficulty trying to write measurements for Potions in metric system rather than standard!) =\  
  
  
  
The next day was dark and overcast. When James opened his eyes, he could hear Sirius was already awake and moving about. He chose a pair of jeans and a scarlet sweater, got changed, and opened up the red velvet curtains around his bed.  
  
"Good morning," Sirius muttered sleepily. James yawned something that Sirius guessed was a response.  
  
A few of the other boys were still asleep, so James and Sirius walked quietly down the staircase, made their way through the Gryffindor common room, and headed for the Great Hall where breakfast was being served.  
  
  
  
Soon enough, they began discussing the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and were well into the conversation by the time they passed the Slytherin table. Severus Snape eyed them angrily.  
  
"Enjoy detention this evening," he said icily, standing up.  
  
James and Sirius halted at the sound of Snape's voice. James turned on his heel, looking Snape straight in the eye, and said a little too loudly, "I'm sure we will, thanks. It's far beyond worth it - especially after what happened yesterday."  
  
"Bye!" Sirius waved cheerfully as he and James continued towards the Gryffindor table.  
  
A few students from the other houses laughed as they saw this, but Snape was seething with anger. He stared after them, his face showing nothing less than utter disgust and loathing. He sat back, brow furrowed, in deep thought. But his gaze never left Potter and Black.  
  
"What was that all about?" Snape heard someone at the Gryffindor table ask.  
  
"Nothing worth mentioning, Remus," Sirius practically yelled, with a glance in Snape's direction. He and James sniggered to themselves.  
  
"So, feeling any better today?" James inquired. Remus appeared to be in far worse condition than he had been the previous day; his face was twice as pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. But there was less visible weakness and anxiety about him, and he smiled as he replied, "Yes, a little."  
  
"I think I'm going to be sick now," Sirius moaned, gazing sadly at the schedule sitting atop a pile of Remus' textbooks. "Double Potions this morning with Slytherin!" He brought his head down on the table in front of him with a loud clunk. His nose landed on his empty plate.  
  
Breakfast appeared on James' plate. Toast, bacon, and eggs. He reached for his goblet, which was now filled with orange juice.  
  
"It won't be so bad," James said, although he clearly didn't believe it himself. Sirius hit his forehead on the table again. Clunk.  
  
"You're going to give yourself a headache," Remus commented. Sirius smacked his head again. "With any luck," he said, "I'll - clunk - give myself brain damage - clunk - and be excused from Potions."  
  
Just then, Sirius' plate filled itself with pancakes, sausage, and scrambled eggs. A final clunk and his forehead was dipped in maple syrup.  
  
  
  
Later that morning, in Potions, Sirius was weighing ingredients while James read them off of a list. "Sixty three grams of dried nettles," James read. Sirius placed a pile of them on the scale. "Sixty three grams," he repeated. "...Got it." He added them to the mixture in the cauldron.  
  
"Eighty seven and a half grams of crushed beetle eyes," said James.  
  
"Eighty seven... and a half," Sirius said as he measured the right amount. He swept the fine black powder into the mixture as well. "Check."  
  
James stared at his list. "Now it says thirty point one nine two six five four three seven nine one three grams of porcupine quills," he instructed.  
  
"Right," Sirius murmured. "Thirty point one nine two... six five... four - blimey, what - !?"  
  
He turned around and glared at James, who was overcome with laughter. He snatched the list and looked at it himself: porcupine quills, thirty one grams.  
  
"Give that back!" James said, struggling to catch his breath.  
  
"Read the list right this time!"  
  
"Lighten up."  
  
"Nope, can't." Sirius was still in quite a bad mood. He glared over the top of the brass scales at Snape, who had finished adding his ingredients. He was saying something to the person sitting beside him, but his empty, cold black eyes were fixed on James and Sirius, his mouth curled into the bitter sneer that usually resided there.  
  
Suddenly, Snape transferred his gaze from James and Sirius, who were sitting in the middle of the room, to a desk in the back where only one person sat - Remus. He glanced at the teacher, a middle-aged woman in a purple cloak. She was busy helping a Gryffindor girl named Hyacinth Brownwell to crush a pile of viper fangs, so it was safe to leave his seat.  
  
"You," he said as he approached. Remus looked up. "Yes?"  
  
"Look at that," James muttered to Sirius. Snape was saying something to Remus. "What's he up to?" Sirius asked, narrowing his eyes.  
  
James shook his head. "Can't hear what they're saying. We need to get back there."  
  
Hyacinth was still talking to the teacher, Professor Wormwood. James and Sirius got up quietly and pretended to be searching the back cabinets for another ingredient. "Sea slugs," Sirius said, unconvincingly, looking over his shoulder towards Remus and Snape. "Sea slugs... sea slugs... where were they..."  
  
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Snape was hissing. Remus got up, nearly knocking over the bench he'd been sitting on. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Severus," he said as calmly as he could, his eyes locked on the greasy-haired boy in front of him, as if he could make Snape wither under the intensity of his furious glare.  
  
James and Sirius had quit pretending to search for sea slugs, and turned around to face Snape. "What's your problem?" Sirius asked. Some of the other students were beginning to stare. Snape's eyes flickered upward as he glanced over Remus' shoulder, but only for a moment. "You have something that belongs to me, Lupin, and I demand to know where it is. Tell me!"  
  
"Leave him alone, Snape," James said menacingly. "He never did anything to you."  
  
"Oh?" Snape was looking at James now. "And why should I listen to you, Potter? You think you're something, don't you? Potter, everyone's favorite. But you haven't got me fooled." He was savoring these words, as if he'd wanted to say them for a long time, despite the fact that he'd only known James Potter for a couple of weeks. "I think you're simply too afraid to come over here yourself - and then, you expect me to take you seriously when all you and your little friend do is hide behind this repulsive, sickening little wretch?"  
  
Remus looked as if he'd been smacked in the face. He did something that was highly uncharacteristic of him: he lunged forward at Snape, hands outstretched, and caught the front of Snape's robes with surprising force. James and Sirius had to pull him away before he got himself into trouble, but Remus was trembling with rage. None of them had ever seen him like this.  
  
"Enough," Professor Wormwood was saying. "Break it up! Now!"  
  
Remus ignored her. "You've made a very big mistake," he said. "Take it back."  
  
Snape took a step back. "You can't deny the truth, Lupin, you'll always be a weakling--"  
  
"No!" Remus roared, breaking loose of James' and Sirius' grasp. The two exchanged glances. Remus seized Snape by the arm, enraged. "You take back what you said about them!" he snarled maliciously. "Take it back or..."  
  
Professor Wormwood was hurrying to the back of the room. "Enough!"  
  
"Remus, stop," James said quietly. "Look at what you're doing."  
  
He fell silent. His eyes widened as he looked down at his hands, still clutching Snape's arm. He loosened his grip, and Snape shook Remus away, backing off slowly. He then strolled leisurely back to his seat, an evil smile on his face. He had succeeded.  
  
"What'd you do that for?" Sirius whispered. "We were about to see Snape get pounded--"  
  
He stopped. Remus was running his hands through his hair, eyes wide with shock. "What's gotten into me?" he whispered frantically. "What's gotten into me?"  
  
Professor Wormwood seemed unsure how to react. "Gentlemen, what is the meaning of all this?" she demanded. Remus was in deeper shock that she was. He didn't look up, and he didn't respond when the teacher spoke to him. James and Sirius were glaring at Snape. He wasn't about to speak up and take the blame... but someone was going to have to.  
  
"It's my fault," James said. Professor Wormwood stared at him strangely.  
  
"I could have sworn that what I saw was--"  
  
"It's my fault," he repeated. "Sna- er, Severus was trying to talk to Remus, but I had to open my mouth. None of it would have happened if I'd kept quiet." Sirius' jaw dropped.  
  
"Mr. Black, is this true?"  
  
With indignation in his voice, Sirius replied, "No!" as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Well, if no one will tell me what this was all about, then I'm going to have to take five points from Gryffindor. Each." Everyone's faces reflected mixed emotions: The Gryffindors looked confused, the Slytherins were smirking, Remus was in shock, Sirius was glaring at Snape as though he was responsible for an atrocious crime, and Professor Wormwood was torn between anxiety and anger. James was trying to remain as calm as possible.  
  
"Ha!" Snape laughed aloud. Professor Wormwood turned on him. "And Severus!" she scolded. "Five points from Slytherin."  
  
"That's not fair! Why--"  
  
"Class is dismissed," said Professor Wormwood, who was looking at a silver pocketwatch. "I shall be talking to the Headmaster Dumbledore about this." With a swish of her wand, all the scales, cauldrons, and ingredients that had been left out on the tables vanished, to be stored elsewhere until the next class.  
  
Remus gathered up his things and hurried from the room, with James and Sirius following close behind him. "Remus! Wait up!" Sirius called out. "Wait up, will you?"  
  
"I don't know what came over me," Remus lied. Of course he knew. Tonight was the night of the full moon. But the attacks had never hit him so hard before. He'd never gotten so out of control.  
  
"Yeah, well, we're not worried about Snape," Sirius said. He and James were trotting alongside Remus now. "And you definetly don't need to worry about us. But are you okay?"  
  
Remus stopped, and so did James and Sirius. "I can take care of myself," he insisted. He resumed walking, but wasn't pursued. "Yes," said James, as he and Sirius, in a daze, watched him go. "We seem to have established that."  
  
James and Sirius walked slowly back to the common room, allowing themselves a bit of time to cool down.  
  
They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Cygnus," James said.  
  
"You would be correct." The Fat Lady, who was quite young, with dark hair and a light pink dress, swung open on her hinges to reveal the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Remus was lying on the couch and staring up at the ceiling.  
  
Sirius caught James' eye, and they exchanged worried glances. Sirius took a deep, steadying breath. "Well," he said wearily. He and James sat down in nearby chairs and looked into the fire that was blazing on the hearth. "...That was intense."  
  
Remus finally sat up, blinked a couple of times, and grinned weakly.  
  
  
  
A/N: *whew!* A longer chapter than usual, and rather more intense also. There's a lot less humor in this chapter, obviously, and a bit more drama. Fear not, there's plenty of both yet to come. Please, read & review to let me know what you think!  
  



	4. Of Curious Cloaks and Whomping Willows

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Four: Of Curious Cloaks and Whomping Willows  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All HP characters were created by the brilliant J. K. Rowling (not me!).  
  
A/N: Thank you for the nice reviews ^^ I really hope this chapter doesn't seem choppy or anything... I'm writing it in a few different sections, because there's so much going on, and it's all pretty important so I wanted it to be one complete chapter. Sorry about the silly title ^^ Anyway, here's the fourth, as promised!  
  
  
  
For a fleeting instant, the boys seemed to understand each other completely. They were sitting in complete silence before the warmth of the fire when the portrait hole opened. Peter and the red-haired girl stepped into the room.  
  
"Lily?" said James, startled by the look on her face. "What is it? Is anything wrong?" After all, she hadn't been in Potions that morning with the other first-years.  
  
Lily shook her head as she sat down next to Remus, but appeared close to tears. "I've just heard what's happened," she said to him. "Are you alright?"  
  
Remus remembered meeting Lily aboard the Hogwarts Express and speaking to her here and there after school started. They certainly weren't close friends, and Remus knew this, but he couldn't help feeling that he could trust her. She was such a sweet girl.  
  
"I'm okay," Remus assured her. "But... what do you mean... you've just heard...? Heard from who?"  
  
"Everyone's talking about it," Peter said. "Mainly the Slytherins. I'd be surprised if the entire school doesn't know by now..." He looked a great deal more nervous than usual.  
  
"News sure does travel fast around here, doesn't it?" Sirius said glumly.  
  
"That's not all," Lily added. "I've just come from the headmaster's office, and he wants a word with all of you..." She bit her lip. "Now."  
  
Remus couldn't believe his ears. He'd never been in trouble for something like this. "Was he... upset?"  
  
"I can't say for sure," said Lily, who was now looking at James. "But you'd better get going..."  
  
Remus got up rather reluctantly, followed by James and Sirius. As they started towards the portrait hole, Peter lingered behind, unsure whether it was his place to follow. "Er," he said uncertainly.  
  
"You'd better wait here, Peter," Remus sighed unhappily. Peter, though, looked slightly relieved. Remus, James, and Sirius braced themselves, thoroughly convinced that the headmaster was going to be screaming at them for hours on end. "Trust me... you won't want to hear this."  
  
  
  
James and Sirius had been in Dumbledore's office several times already, and Lupin spoke to the headmaster quite frequently - almost on a regular basis. Still, the three were uneasy about this particular visit, and with good reason. This was bigger than a small mix-up or a practical joke.  
  
The expression on the headmaster's face was impossible to read. Dumbledore was not smiling, and his pale blue eyes expressed deep concern from behind the half-moon spectacles he always wore. Yet Remus could have sworn that he saw his eyes twinkling with something like amusement. He felt very silly admitting it, but he wished they would stop.  
  
Dumbledore took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "You are intelligent young men," he began. "Surely you are aware that conflicts can never be resolved when one must resort to violence. Violent actions do not go unpunished."  
  
"Please, sir," Remus pleaded. He realized he'd been holding his breath. "You're not... going to expel me?"  
  
Dumbledore gave them a funny half-smile. "Luckily, Mr. Lupin, as none of the students were victims of physical harm, I can safely say that expulsion is not one of the options I was considering.  
  
"Detention will serve as fair punishment," Dumbledore continued. "I have already spoken to Severus Snape. I do wish for my students to learn the value of working alongside one another, for the inability to cooperate only leads to greater complications. However, considering the circumstances..." His gaze fell upon Remus. "Considering the circumstances, Snape will be serving his detention separately." He sat back and smiled now. "Give everyone a little room to breathe. How does that sound?"  
  
Remus, James, and Sirius breathed a collective sigh of relief. "Just tell us what to do," said Sirius.  
  
"The Quidditch trophies need polishing," Dumbledore said. "And then you are to patrol the grounds with Filch. I know it seems like a lot of work, but between the three of you, I think you'll be able to manage well enough."  
  
  
  
They did manage. After classes had come to an end for the day, the three of them headed to the trophy room, and finished polishing the trophies rather quickly - almost in record time - only to realize they'd forgotten about Part II of their detention, which they would be spending with Filch.  
  
"Ugh," said Sirius, remembering.  
  
"Polishing off the trophies and plaques - that's a standard punishment," said James, who was by now an expert on detentions. "Loads of kids have had to come up here for it. But I've never heard of having to patrol the grounds with Filch. Maybe Dumbledore thought we were ganging up on poor widdle Snape with our wands out, three to one--"  
  
"And quite a pitiful one," Sirius added.  
  
Or maybe, thought Remus... Maybe there's something I'm supposed to see.  
  
Soon they met up with Filch, who was waiting for them at the end of the Great Hall, which was now quite deserted. He grunted at them by way of greeting and told them they were to stay close behind while he patrolled the grounds. "You'll have to stay here, my sweet," he said to his cat, Mrs. Norris, who meowed fondly in reply.  
  
"That... that cat... _thing_ is so creepy," James said.  
  
They had been outside for nearly two and a half hours when they heard a girl's scream. Remus was the first to react. He ran, following the sound, and found himself face-to-face with a rather large tree that he couldn't remember seeing there before, though he felt certain he knew what it was.  
  
This tree was moving. Its flailing branches, like arms, reached down towards a first year girl who had wandered outside. She screamed again.  
  
"Help!"  
  
Before any of them had a chance to move, the mighty tree took one more wild swing of its branches... taking the girl along with it. She screamed again and was swept off her feet before she landed several feet away. She did not move.  
  
  
  
"I need to speak with Dumbledore again, it's important," Remus said quickly, just outside of his office again. "And please," he said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "Don't wait up for me, okay?"  
  
His friends glanced at each other, but nodded uncertainly. Remus wouldn't go in until Sirius and James had begun to walk away.  
  
"Detention was alright, I suppose," Sirius remarked as he and James headed back to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"Could have been worse," James agreed, still quite shaken. "But I'd hate to be on Dumbledore's bad side. And that tree we saw..."  
  
"Mm. I hope that girl's going to be okay... they say the nurse here can mend anything in seconds, even broken bones. Hey, d'you reckon we should wait here for Remus?"   
  
James stopped walking. "He told us to go on without him," he said. Sirius hung back. "Well, yeah, but... you know how he is - so modest--"  
  
"Aww, has Sirius gone soft?" James taunted, although he knew Sirius had a point.  
  
"You were the one who suggested getting to know him better. All I'm saying is, it would be a nice guesture."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. It's just... a bit weird that he was so insistent about our not waiting for him."  
  
No sooner had they gone back to wait for their friend than they heard a voice. It belonged to Remus, but they had a hard time recognizing it. It didn't sound at all like the voice of a mild-mannered eleven year old boy. This one was soft. Anguished.  
  
"...and she could have been killed, sir. We both know it's my fault - if I hadn't come, there'd be no need for the Whomping Willow, and no one would have been hurt."  
  
"_Whomping Willow?_" Sirius whispered. "Shh!" said James, listening closely.  
  
"While the latter may be true, Remus, you have just as much right to be here as anyone--"  
  
"But--"  
  
"Remus, you may fail to see it now, but I can sense it - you belong here at Hogwarts. You have the potential to become a great wizard, and it would be a pity to see all of that talent go to waste. Therefore, as we cannot change the past, this is the best possible way to ensure the well-being of all students. Including yourself, I might add."  
  
"...Yes, sir. I... I understand."  
  
"Now, I'd like to go over this one more time. To get past the Willow tonight..."  
  
James and Sirius stared at each other in shock, taking care not to miss a single word.  
  
  
  
After Dumbledore's speech had come to an end, they'd run back to the Gryffindor common room as fast as their legs could carry them, continuing all the way up to the boys' dormitory. James collapsed on his bed. He and Sirius struggled to breathe normally.  
  
"Did you - get - all that?"  
  
Sirius nodded. "We have to follow him," he gasped. "He could - he could be in danger!"  
  
They played a few games of chess and finished their homework in the common room. But immediately after dinner (Remus hadn't shown up in the Great Hall), James excused himself, saying he was quite tired and wanted to go to sleep early. He nodded at Sirius as a signal.  
  
Sirius took his place in an armchair near the boys' staircase, just as they'd discussed, picking up a book about Quidditch and pretending to look through it with great interest. The page he'd opened up to showed a Keeper in blue-green robes, making a dramatic save and catching the Quaffle before the other team could score.  
  
James, meanwhile, did go upstairs to the boys dormitory, but instead waited by the window. The sun had gone down and the sky was beginning to darken gradually, making his task twice as difficult as he strained to see what was happening below in the darkness. Finally, his tired eyes detected movement. He kicked the wall loudly, a signal to Sirius that he'd seen someone on the grounds - only perhaps a little too loudly in sudden excitement, and he paid dearly for it as pain shot up his leg. He hopped one one foot, one hand clamped over his mouth, trying not to scream out.  
  
Downstairs, he could hear Sirius loudly saying, "Well, look at the time! It's getting late - I'd better go to the library before bedtime!"  
  
When the pain subsided, James looked anxiously over at the trunk by his four-poster bed. He opened it up, lifting up piles of not-so-neatly folded jeans, sweaters, and robes for school. He felt around for it - yes, there it was. His father's gift to James, the invisibility cloak.  
  
"Someday, my boy," his father had said, showing James the folded-up cloak, "you're going to be the best damn wizard the world's ever seen!" The cloak had been his gift to James when he'd received his letter of acceptance from Hogwarts. Only, he, er... wasn't supposed to have it yet. James' father had intended to give him the cloak as a graduation present, but was often quite careless and didn't realize that he'd accidentally thrown the cloak in his son's school trunk without knowing. So, it wasn't really stealing, James convinced himself.  
  
"Ahem!" Sirius yelled loudly. "Yes, I'll just be GOING TO THE LIBRARY NOW if anyone needs me!"  
  
"Sorry father," James said, throwing on the invisibility cloak and rushing down the stairs as silently as he could. He walked right up to Sirius, who was standing beside the open portrait hole as planned. "Alright," he whispered, "let's go."  
  
Sirius finally stepped outside into the dark corridor, accidentally stepping on the end of James' cloak, as it was a little too big for him. "Watch it!" the boy whispered at his friend. Sirius gaped. "An invisibility cloak!" he whispered back. "Wow, I've never even seen one--"  
  
"Of course you haven't!" James snapped. "They make you invisible! Now get in the cloak or you'll be seen!"  
  
"Right," said Sirius, laughing to himself. "Get in the cloak... you crack me up sometimes, mate."  
  
They made their way slowly through the corridors and down the series of staircases that had apparently moved there over night. "Are you sure we're going the right way?" one would occasionally whisper to the other. Finally, they reached the exit. Outside, the Whomping Willow waved its branches restlessly, pummelling the occasional butterfly or bird.  
  
"That thing's vicious!" Sirius remarked. "It's been magicked or something to be bloodthirsty! How the heck d'you expect us to get past that thing alive?"  
  
"Shh," said James. "I'm thinking, I'm thinking. Now, it can't see us under the invisibility cloak, but I reckon we should still be careful, in case - in case--" He gulped. "Just stay low to the ground," he finished upon finding his voice.  
  
They crept slowly up to the tree. A twig snapped under James' foot, and the Willow automatically swung one of its mighty branches. It was a near miss. Sirius could actually feel it graze the side of his head. Neither boy dared move, or step back, or even breathe until the Willow, as if convinced the noise had been made by some small creature that had scampered off, resumed waving its branches again. "You be careful!" he warned, upset. "That was way too close!"  
  
Slowly, carefully... one foot in front of the other (Sirius and James, frozen with fear, had to remind themselves of this quite often)... James reached up to the tree's trunk...  
  
"It's got me!" he yelped, forgetting the secrecy of the entire mission as he was swept backwards out from underneath the cloak. One of the branches had grabbed onto James as if he were a rag doll. "Sirius, quickly! The knot! _Press the knot!_"  
  
Frantically, Sirius followed his friend's directions, and as he did so, the Willow froze, dropping James from at least ten feet up.  
  
"You okay?" Sirius asked, rushing to help James up. "Yeah," said James when he was over the initial shock of what had happened. He followed the sound of Sirius' voice (and the sight of his hand, which was floating in midair, extended to James to help him up) to find the cloak, and covered himself up again. "We've got to go, now!" he said desperately, trying to keep his voice low, "there isn't much time! I don't know how long the tree stays frozen like that."  
  
Behind the tree was a small, dark tunnel, which they reluctantly followed, unsure of where it would leave them. When they found themselves in a small wooden shack, they felt sure they'd made a mistake and were ready to turn back.  
  
"Wait," said Sirius. "Let's just see if he's here first. Remus?" No answer. So he called again, "Remus, are you here?" Only silence followed.  
  
"Remus--"  
  
He stopped dead in the middle of the sentence. "J... J..." he stuttered. "J... J-J-J-J-_JAMES!_"  
  
"What is it, Sirius?" James asked. Sirius smacked his friend on the arm to get his attention, and pointed straight ahead.  
  
Coming towards them was a large gray wolf, snarling and showing its pointed teeth.  
  
  
  
A/N: Wow. Sorry this chapter was packed with so many different things going on! The next chapter will be more complete, and not so chopped up. Also, I wasn't sure when/how James aquired his invisibility cloak, so I just kind of decided that, at least for this fic, his father "gave" it to him. Maybe it's a family heirloom. ^^;;  



	5. An Encounter

The Marauders: In The Beginning  
Chapter Five: An Encounter  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All HP characters were created by the brilliant J. K. Rowling, not me! ^^  
  
A/N: I've been trying to get this chapter up as quickly as possible. I hate cliffhangers too! Wah! >  
  
  
James stood rooted to the spot, face to face with a large, hungry-looking gray wolf. He was trying to move, but somehow his legs weren't getting the message. He opened his mouth to scream, but all that escaped from his throat was a strange sort of squeak that didn't sound at all like his own voice. All he could do was stand there in fear, unable to get away. He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for the beast to leap upon them... it would all be over soon...  
  
Suddenly, one step in front of where Sirius and James stood, the wolf stopped. It lifted its head, sniffing the air suspiciously. It let out a low growl, then turned away slowly. It headed for the darkest corner of the small shack and lay down.  
  
Sirius realized then that he hadn't been breathing for a good thirty seconds or so. He exhaled slowly, every muscle in his body straining to stay perfectly still, not daring to make another sound. He turned to James and mouthed, "It can't see us!"  
  
"The cloak," James said, his voice very small and barely audible. "I've just realized... I didn't think it worked with animals..."  
  
Sirius looked lost. "It doesn't," he whispered. "When a wizard wears a cloak of invisibility, animals can't see--"  
  
He stopped as a muffled sound came from the far end of the one-room shack. "James, we've got to go back!" He was about to take a step back when James said, "Wait! We've still got to look for Remus, remember? What if we leave him here and the wolf gets him?"  
  
Sirius gulped, closing his eyes. "Okay," he whispered, opening them and looking around. He spotted a door. "Look," he told James. "There's a door over there. Let's at least get outside." So they began creeping towards the door, inch by inch.  
  
There was but one problem: the door was closed.  
  
James stared at his friend, horrified. There was only one thing he could do. Slowly... steadily... carefully... he reached out for the doorknob and pulled the door open...  
  
"Yes, that's it," Sirius muttered. "Just a little further... then we're out of here..."  
  
Then, something happened - the very thing which both boys had been dreading - the old door creaked on its rusted hinges, and the wolf, hearing the noise, sprang up immediately. It was at their heels within seconds.  
  
"RUN!" Sirius yelled.  
  
James tripped over the edge of the cloak, which was too big and had been dragging on the ground. He grabbed Sirius' arm, but instead of catching himself before he fell, he pulled his friend down along with him, and the two tumbled out the open doorway. But the wolf wasn't far behind.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!" With a great shout, Sirius kicked the door shut just in time. The boys heard the creature yelp as his face collided with the wood. Then, it whimpered softly, dragging itself back into the dark corner. James and Sirius lay in a tangled heap, petrified and barely able to breathe.  
  
Sirius was clutching his heart. His face had gone very pale. "That was the scariest thing... I've never seen anything like... And its teeth! I..." he trailed off, at a loss. He and his friend scrambled to their feet and made sure they were a safe distance away from the shack before they continued.  
  
"You... you were saying, Sirius?" James managed in between gasps for air.  
  
Sirius had caught his breath by now, but he seemed unable to speak. He had realized something.  
  
"Sirius?"  
  
"James, it doesn't matter whether you've got an invisibility cloak or not," he said. "Animals can see you either way."  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"So the wolf didn't see us."  
  
James swallowed. "That... that couldn't mean... honestly, Sirius, you don't think that's a werewolf in there?"  
  
Sirius said nothing.  
  
"You've gone mental," James said.  
  
"Well," Sirius spat, "think of a better explanation then." And James racked his brain, trying to do just that, but soon realized that he couldn't. He stared back at his friend in a combination of awe and fear.  
  
"The question is," Sirius asked, "what are we supposed to do now?"  
  
He and James sat down, James rubbing his eyes tiredly. All his energy was gone. "What's there to do?" he replied. He took a deep breath. "We tell Dumbledore and we get expelled - goodbye, no more Hogwarts, the end. And we came out here to get Remus, but face it, we stick around we become dinner - nice knowing you--"  
  
"The end," Sirius finished.  
  
"Yes. So it's obvious. Got to slip back in there somehow, get back to Hogwarts, get a bit of rest, and most importantly, keep this to ourselves. One word of this gets out, and we're done for." He paused, his words not quite having the dramatic effect he'd intended. "...Er, you know, the--"  
  
"The end, the end!" Sirius finished impatiently. "Please, spare me - we'll keep it to ourselves, okay? Let's just go!"  
  
They had to wait quite some time, until they felt certain the wolf had fallen asleep. ("Blimey, it'll be light out soon!" Sirius had said.) Then, covering themselves with the cloak once more, they began to pry the door open. "Wait a second," Sirius said. He pulled his wand out of his pocked, whispering, "Silentio." The door swung open soundlessly, and James raised his eyebrows. "What?" Sirius asked, noticing James' stare.  
  
"First of all," said James, "why didn't you think of that in the first place?" His friend shrugged, discomfited. "I panicked!" he said, scowling.  
  
"Second... that was really cool!"  
  
Sirius brightened. "You think so?"  
  
"Yeah," James replied quietly with a nod. "Now I guess we'd better be getting back." He still felt a little guilty at the idea of leaving Remus behind.  
  
He and Sirius stepped into the shack, edging toward the tunnel that led back to Hogwarts. James turned for one final look back at the wolf, just to be safe. It wasn't there.  
  
"Sirius, it's quite odd," he said stupidly in an attempt to disguise his fear. "The wolf doesn't seem to be here anymore..." He and Sirius exchanged glances.  
  
They peered into the darkness, overcome with curiosity. Something just ahead of them moved and let out a small groan of pain. There, lying in a crumpled pile on the floor, was--  
  
"REMUS!"  
  
Not bothering to ask a single question, James and Sirius rushed to his side, Sirius throwing off his half of the cloak. Both grabbed Remus by the arms and heaved him upright, then started slowly towards the tunnel. Remus struggled to open his eyes, but he was fading in and out of consciousness.  
  
"You're going to be okay now," Sirius whispered. "Don't worry, mate. You're going to be okay."  
  
  
  
A/N: Ack! Another cliffhanger! I really shouldn't get into the habit of ending chapters this way =\ I promise I'll continue working on this story as soon as possible and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon!  
  



	6. End or Beginning?

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Six: An End or a Beginning?  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: All HP characters were created by J. K. Rowling, not me. She's bloody brilliant (Ack! Not more movie quotes!).  
  
A/N: Another chapter is finally up, and I'm working on writing more. I apologize for not adding them sooner, but after going out of town recently I've been trying to get caught up again in school, and it's taking up a lot of my time. Thank you for the encouraging reviews, however. I'd really appreciate more! *hint, hint* ^^;;;  
  
  
  
Remus was still slipping in and out of consciousness. It felt as though he wasn't really there, like he was just standing by and watching while his friends strained and pulled with all their might, dragging his body back to the castle. Like he was seeing himself through someone else's eyes. Yes, that was it... that would explain why his arms and legs hung limp; surely that was why he couldn't move them, no matter how he tried...  
  
"Remus!" called Sirius urgently. "Remus, please! You've got to wake up!"  
  
"What d'you think happened to him back there?" asked James, who had gone very pale.  
  
Remus stirred. When he finally opened his eyes, he felt very weak. His head was swimming. But he was no longer outside. He was in the hospital wing. "James?" he managed to say. "Sirius?"  
  
Sirius gave a shout. "I - I think he's beginning to come around!"  
  
Remus struggled to sit up, but could barely lift his head. He blinked. It was morning. "You... you came?" he choked out once he realized that neither of his friends had been hurt as a result of the adventure. James nodded; he couldn't think of any possible reason why Remus would be upset. But he was. He glared at James and Sirius, going very pale as his body twitched painfully. He said through gritted teeth, "You should have listened to me. You should have just left it alone."  
  
Sirius stared. "What? Remus, you don't understand! Something could've happened! It's lucky James and I got there in time!"  
  
Remus leaned back on his pillow. It was all coming together. He looked up as Dumbledore approached. "On the contrary," said the old wizard. "On the contrary, boys, it is most unfortunate." He sighed wearily. "The two of you had no idea what you were meddling in."  
  
"Please, sir," James spoke up. "If we could just get a chance to explain - see, we saved him - and if we hadn't gotten there - sir, I think he's been hurt by something - and what do you mean meddling?" He said this all very fast, his mind filled with questions. He wished the room would stop spinning. All of this was a bit of a shock for him, and he was beginning to feel dizzy.  
  
After some time, Dumbledore sat down in a chair near Remus' bed, and motioned for the other two to do the same. "You may want to take a seat," said Dumbledore. He looked at Remus, though continued to address his classmates. "I'm afraid - Mr. Potter, Mr. Black - that the two of you have learned far too much already for us to pretend nothing's happened. So I might as well explain everything to you, though I ask you to keep it between us. It is very important. The staff all know about it, of course, but among students, no one else is to know."  
  
Remus gave in, nodding. "I understand, sir," he said. "It's... it's alright." He stared down at his blankets, deliberately trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone. In a few moments, nothing would matter. Even if they did keep his secret... he was about to lose the only friends he'd ever really had, and after such a short time...  
  
"They're going to think I'm a monster," Remus thought to himself bitterly. He swallowed and blinked fiercely, but his throat was painfully dry and his eyes were stinging. "...They're going to _know_ I'm a monster." He didn't want them to know the truth. He didn't want Dumbledore to explain.  
  
But Dumbledore did explain.  
  
He explained everything, while James and Sirius sat perfectly still and silent, wide-eyed, attempting to take everything in all at once. They listened attentatively while Dumbledore told them how Remus had wandered off into the woods when he was very young. He'd gotten lost, crying out for his parents, but they didn't hear him. Something else did.  
  
He explained how Remus had received the bite that very night, and how ever since then they'd had to lock him up at the full moon, how no other decent wizarding school wanted to take him. He explained about Remus' behavior. Why he got sick so much. The Whomping Willow, the old boarded-up shack. Remus did not move, nor did he look up again. He just sat there in bed, furious at himself, ashamed of the truth. Every now and then he'd have to squeeze his eyes shut and remind himself to breathe, still feeling quite sick as the lasting effects of the transformation slowly wore off.  
  
  
  
Remus remained in the hospital wing for two long days. He had frequently experienced lonliness throughout his childhood; when he wasn't in the company of his family, he'd been by himself, so of course by now he was accustomed to solitude. And he didn't expect any visitors - how could he? It just wasn't reasonable. But somehow, when no one came, he felt more alone than he had in years.  
  
On the final day, Miss Pomfrey, the nurse, took his temperature one last time. Swishing her wand, a line of glittering red symbols appeared over Remus' head. "According to this, your fever's gone down," she sighed. Another flick of the wrist and the symbols vanished into her wand. Her expression changed, and she asked sympathetically, "Is it always this bad, dear?"  
  
Remus considered for a moment before answering.  
  
"No," he said finally, not meeting her eyes. "It's never been quite this bad before."  
  
"Well, if you're feeling up to it, you can head on back to class today," she said. "Come to think of it, maybe you'd better head to the Great Hall now for breakfast. Unless you'd rather get a bit more rest, if you ask me it's much too soon, the nerve of those teachers wanting you back in class so early--"  
  
"I'll be fine, Miss Pomfrey," said Remus, forcing a laugh. "Really. I've gotten more than enough rest. But thanks anyway."  
  
Later, sitting alone at breakfast, Remus hardly expected to be approached. As he moved his food around on the plate, someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he jumped about a foot in the air.  
  
"Hey, sorry mate, didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Grinning down at him were none other than James Potter and Sirius Black.  
  



	7. A Sudden Interest in Studies

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
  
Chapter Seven: A Sudden Interest in Studies  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Everything HP-related was created by J. K. Rowling, not me. This is purely fan work!  
  
A/N: Hmm... things are changing yet again. For some reason, even though it's longer, this chapter seems to me kind of... short and lame -_-;; I'll try to make the next one better!  
  
  
  
When Remus turned to see James and Sirius standing behind him, it was as if a kind of weight had been lifted from his shouders. He immediately felt so relieved at this familiar sight that he actually had to give himself a mental slap in the face. _Don't get your hopes up,_ he told himself. Suddenly his face darkened with sudden painful realization.  
  
"You probably want to sit here," he said quickly, gathering his things in a rush. "I'm terribly sorry, just let me move out of the way and--"  
  
Sirius scratched his head. "Wait, where d'you think you're going?"  
  
Remus stopped in his tracks. He turned slowly. "Well," he said, as though it couldn't have been more obvious, "I was just leaving... er, I thought I was in your way, so..." His voice trailed off as he stared at his classmates curiously.  
  
James, who was for some reason carrying twice as many books as usual, pushed up his glasses comically. "You know what this means, Sirius?" he said, trying to sound intelligent. "Remus Lupin - ranked first in his year, quick as a wink, sharp as a tack, smart as... uh, well," he faltered, "pretty smart, obviously - and he actually thought _wrong_ for once!"  
  
Sirius shrugged. "First time for everything, you know." He turned to Remus. "Now," he continued in a mock-angry tone, "thanks to Miss Pomfrey getting all uptight, we haven't been able to come and see you in the hospital wing for the past two days. I don't know what you're thinking, but you aren't going _anywhere._ So, if you don't mind, kindly take a seat. 'Kay?"  
  
His face broke into a funny sort of grin as he plopped down at the table. James followed suit, nearly dropping his large pile of books. He glanced at Remus, still struggling not to drop anything, and motioned for him to sit. "Come on," he said, as if nothing had happened just days before. "We haven't got all day!"  
  
It was hard to believe that just minutes ago, Remus had been thoroughly convinced that his newfound friendship with James and Sirius was over. Now he was beginning to recover from the initial shock of having his friends back. They were laughing and joking with him like they normally had. Still, something was bothering him.  
  
_"This must be too good to be true,"_ he thought uneasily.  
  
"Er," he said, nervous. "About the other day..." He lowered his voice. James and Sirius were both beginning to look a little uncomfortable. "Yeah," said James after a moment, looking at Sirius apprehensively. "About that..."  
  
Remus bit his lip. "I don't know how to say this," he said, still taking care to speak softly so he wouldn't be heard. "Most people... when they find out about... you know" - he winced - "the thing is, I guess most people... are scared. I was just wondering why you're still... why you're still talking to me." He looked down glumly at his hands, covered with faint scars, scratches, and bite-marks, nearly all of which were self-inflicted.  
  
Both boys paused a moment before answering. It was Sirius who spoke first. He frowned. "I guess it's because we got to know you first," he said. "I'll admit, I was deathly scared of the idea - er, I mean, I was... I... I was pretty frightened, I suppose, but I've thought about it a lot--"  
  
"We both have," James interrupted. "Miss Pomfrey's been so strict about you resting up that she wouldn't let us visit you, but we've both been doing a lot of thinking. Remus, just because you, er - _change_ every so often..." He shuddered. "Yeah, that part's scary, but we know it doesn't change the person you are the rest of the time. And we'll never forget how you stood up to Snape like that in Potions." James had said this with such a tone of finality in his voice that clearly meant that was all he had to say, but he laughed a little at the last statement.  
  
Remus realized he'd been holding his breath. He, too, allowed himself a laugh, his face going a little red as he remembered.  
  
"So, James," he said. "What's with all the books?"  
  
"Er... well," James replied cautiously. "We just came from the library."  
  
"Best time of the day to go," Remus replied playfully, "no one would have caught you in a library so early in the morning."  
  
James, however, was serious. "Actually, we really do need to tell you something... but we should probably talk about that later. Right, Sirius?"  
  
Sirius had just begun to eat, and his mouth was full. He nodded. "Mm hmm."  
  
Remus agreed, but James' words continued to plague him the entire day. He couldn't pay attention in Tranfiguration, much to the dismay of his teacher, Professor McGonagall. She was in her twenties, but was nevertheless very strict.  
  
"Mr. Lupin?" she asked sharply as Remus was gazing out the window, leaning an elbow on the desk, trying to figure out what was going on with James and Sirius. They still insisted on not telling him anything. After a few more tries, McGonagall finally succeeded in bringing him back to reality. "Mr. Lupin!" she exclaimed. Remus started and his elbow slid off the desk. "Hmm?" he said absent-mindedly.  
  
  
  
Classes continued this way for the rest of the day, until finally the five of them - Remus, James, and Sirius, now joined by Peter and Lily - headed back to the Gryffindor common room. "And Professor Toadstool says I'm doing really well in Herbology," chattered Peter excitedly as they reached the portrait hole. "He said if I keep doing so well, I might not have to write that essay for next week... inglenook."  
  
The portrait swung open on its hinges as Peter said the password, but he didn't enter. "Peter, aren't you coming?" asked Sirius, but Peter shook his head. He was still smiling. "Professor Toadstool wanted to discuss it with me, so I should probably be heading back, just wanted to tell you all the good news," he said hurriedly. Lily smiled as Peter scampered off. "That's a good thing for him, you know?" she said to the boys as they made their way into the common room. "Boost his self-esteem a little. I'm happy for him."  
  
Remus nodded in agreement, but he was still thinking about his friends' strange behavior. His curiosity getting the best of him, he asked quite suddenly, "James, can I borrow one of your books?"  
  
"Sure, which one?"  
  
"No," Remus said pointedly. "I mean one of _those_ books." He guestured toward the pile of books James had been carrying around earlier that morning. James looked at Remus questioningly.  
  
"Remember?" Remus added hopefully. "You were going to, er... show me the books you checked out this morning?"  
  
"Oh!" exclaimed James and Sirius together. "Erm... right. Come on, then."  
  
The boys were now completely ignoring Lily, who looked a little hurt as she sat down at a small wooden table at the far end of the room. After all, she could take a hint. She began removing from her bag a number of textbooks, quills, ink and parchment and was just starting on her homework when the sound of James' voice made her look up.  
  
"We'll be right back," he said. He hesitated, noticing a tiny glimmer in Lily's bright green eyes. Then he ran up the spiral staircase and into the boys' dorm. It was completely deserted except for Sirius and Remus, who were smirking at him.  
  
"Oh, stop that already," James snapped. "It's just Lily - it isn't what you think. Now, can we please focus?"  
  
He turned to Remus. "As I was telling you earlier this morning, the two of us stopped at the library before breakfast. We picked up a few books we thought might be useful. We got them - er, they came from the restricted section," he admitted, giving them a sheepish grin. Remus was confused. "The restricted section?" he repeated. "How on earth did you..." But Sirius' eyes immediately fell upon the school trunk where James kept the cloak.  
  
"L-Long story," James stuttered, but Sirius interrupted him. "Invisibility cloak," he finished simply.  
  
Their friend stared back at them, his gray eyes showing his confusion. "A - A _what_!?"  
  
"We'll explain everything," said James, growing impatient. "The thing is, we think we've figured out a way we'll be able to help you." He paused, at a loss. "With..."  
  
"With what?"  
  
"Well, y'know, with your being a - a werewolf."  
  
There. He had said it. Any second now, his friend's eyes would go wide as he'd exclaim, "Wow, James! That's amazing! I can't believe it!" And then everything would be just fine. He waited. Yes, any second now...  
  
"You're off your onion."  
  
Er... not _quite_ the response he'd been looking for. "What?" replied James.  
  
"There's no cure for it," Remus said bitterly.  
  
"What d'you mean there's no cure?" said Sirius quietly. He didn't want to hear the answer.  
  
"Just what I said," sighed Remus heavily. "There isn't any cure. At least, not yet." He slumped over tiredly and sat cross-legged on the floor, hanging his head. "It could be years. But... but I apologize for snapping at you like that. I guess I'm a bit edgy. I appreciate it, really, no one's ever tried to do anything like that before..."  
  
James hesitated, but decided it would be best to continue before Remus got too far into his apologetic speech. "Remus, let me finish. We're not looking for a cure."  
  
"...You... you're not... what?" By now, he was thoroughly confused.  
  
Sirius was flipping through the yellowing pages of a very thick book. "It's all right here... _Advanced Transfiguration and Shapeshifting, Volume One..._" He snapped the volume shut and grinned at his friends over the top of it. "So, think you're up for it?"  
  



	8. Sirius and James Have Formed a Plan

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Seven: Sirius and James Have Formed a Plan  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Everything you recognize from HP is the creation of the wonderful J. K. Rowling, not me.  
  
A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, everyone. They really encourage me to write more. Butterbeers for all of you! ^_^ Lady Norbert pointed out a couple of things I'd like to mention - first off, thanks for telling me about the cloak being a family heirloom. I feel much better about it now! Do you remember where you read it? Second, I should probably mention that I've read a lot of fics that exclude Peter, and this isn't going to be one of them for too much longer... I have something planned! Hehe ^_- I was hoping to illustrate the initial awkwardness I imagined in him, and how he sometimes felt like a third wheel during school. But while he isn't really in the picture now, I can assure you he IS coming! Now, enough from me. On to the fic! =)  
  
  
  
Remus narrowed his eyes slightly at his friends, staring from one to the other. "Transfiguration? Shapeshifting?" he asked, pointing at the old book Sirius held. "And just why would a couple of first years need a book about all that? And - and from the restricted section of the library, no less!?"  
  
"We've been doing our homework," stated James simply.  
  
"Yes, yes, that's all very nice, except that advanced transfiguration doesn't come til _seventh_ year," said Remus. "Don't change the subject--"  
  
"We're not," Sirius said quietly. "We've been researching werewolves. We couldn't find much in the regular library books, just the basics - like the full moon bit, and how silver can kill--" He stopped, scolding himself for saying something so stupid without thinking. "Yes, well, it was all just baby stuff, basically," he said, regaining his composure.  
  
James continued for him. "We couldn't find anything _useful_ with that librarian lady breathing down our necks. God, she gets suspicious. But anyhow, that's when we thought to look in the restricted section." Seeing his friend's confusion, he turned to Sirius and said, "D'you reckon it's time we explained about the cloak?"  
  
Sirius gave a brief nod. James walked over to his bedside, opened his school trunk, and removed what looked like a large, shimmering blanket. "It's been in my family for years," he said. Remus stared, awe-struck. "This is the invisibility cloak?" he asked. For a moment he forgot the seriousness of the situation. Most of the time, Remus was incredibly mature for his age, but at the moment, he found his eleven-year old self unable to contain his excitement.  
  
James nodded, throwing the cloak around his shoulders and closing it in the front. His body vanished, leaving only his head suspended in the air. "Cool!" Remus thought. He shook his head to clear the thought. "What does all this have to do with my being a werewolf?" he said, unusually forward.  
  
"Well," said James, removing the invisibility cloak. "This is how we got into the resticted section of the library. And we found loads..."   
  
He was getting to the part of the conversation Remus had been most curious about all day long. James took a deep breath and said dramatically, "You wouldn't believe it." He spoke softly, but Remus caught every word. "For example, did you know that werewolves only have a taste for _human_ blood?"  
  
Remus couldn't hide a frown. Not because his friends seemed to think they knew more little-known facts about werewolves than he did - no, he was busy thinking about something else. _Tell me I'm not going to regret asking this,_ he thought to himself as everything slowly began to fall into place. "So you were thinking of... becoming... something not human?" he said dully.  
  
"The work of a genius, isn't it?" said Sirius. "The two of us came up with it on our own, piece by piece, armed only with our skills of, er, meta... met- metaphysical reasoning," he finished, reading straight from the page of the book. Remus ignored the fact that his friend wasn't making sense. His expression was impossible to read.  
  
"I don't know what to say," he stated.  
  
Sirius looked up at him. "Have you ever heard of a wizard that was able to change form? You know... shapeshift?"  
  
Remus, at a loss for words, nodded.  
  
"There's a small group of wizards and witches, usually only so many per century, and they've got the power to turn themselves into an animal at will. They're called Animagi. The thing is, you've got to be registered at the Ministry of Magic, but we think we've figured out a way past it, and--"  
  
Remus had found his voice again. "No," he interjected.  
  
James and Sirius stared. "...What?"  
  
"Like I said, no one's ever tried to do something like that for me before... but don't." Remus squeezed his eyes shut, and when he opened them his two friends were looking equally confused and a little upset. Remus continued. "Don't you see?" he pleaded. "This is very advanced magic, even for qualified wizards! Any number of things can go wrong!"  
  
James opened his mouth angrily, about to say something, but Remus stopped him. "Please, please understand," he begged. "You could never know how much this means to me. Words couldn't explain it. It's just that..." He shook his head, looking at James and Sirius desperately. "If anything ever happened, if you only half-transformed, or - or if you weren't able to transform at all, and you were trapped in there - I'd never be able to forgive myself..." He forced himself to stop, biting his lip with a little too much force.  
  
"We're not going to let anything like that happen," said Sirius. "James and I... we've read about this, Remus, we _know_ it's a big thing to try to do. But we've got to at least try. We know it's going to take years of studying, but just think, if we could actually accomplish it..." His dark eyes burned with determination. "If we could really do it, you'd never have to go through all that by yourself again. Think of it! We'd be able to keep you company... oh, come on, we have to try!"  
  
Remus couldn't believe he was even considering it. "You said you have to be registered," he said, giving himself some more time to think. "There's no way the Ministry of Magic would ever agree to it."  
  
"Yeah," said James gleefully, "but there are _unregistered Animagi_ out there too!"  
  
"That's breaking the law!"  
  
"Only bending it."  
  
"ONLY BENDING IT!?"  
  
"Shh!" Sirius exclaimed as Remus began to raise his voice.  
  
"Yes," James said quietly. "This is more important."  
  
Remus shook his head in disbelief. There was a prolonged silence. He couldn't believe two people he had only known for a few weeks were willing to go through so much at his expense. If someday, when they were older, the plan was revealed, would they be thrown into Azkaban, the wizard prison? "Why are you doing all this for me?" he asked finally.  
  
Sirius shrugged uncomfortably, not sure what to say. "Because... I dunno... what're friends for?"  
  
  
  
Finally, the three boys went back downstairs to the Gryffindor common room. Lily had fallen asleep waiting for them, her pretty red hair falling over her face as she slept. Other than that, the room was totally deserted, for all the boys knew.  
  
"Do you really think this will work?" Remus asked again as they settled into three big, squashy armchairs toward the back of the room. "You realize what it could mean if we're ever caught?"  
  
James nodded. "Yeah. But the day Sirius and I finally learn how to become Animagi," he said, keeping his voice low, "it'll be worth it."  
  
Suddenly, a face appeared over the top of the couch. "What on earth are you talking about?"  
  
Peter Pettigrew, who had been resting out of sight on the sofa, had heard every word.  
  



	9. When the Full Moon Rises

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Nine: When the Full Moon Rises  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: Anything and everything from the Harry Potter books is property of J. K. Rowling. This is purely fan work.  
  
A/N: I hope this chapter doesn't seem too dull, or slow-moving... I just left off at a bad spot and there's a bit of explaining to do before I can really carry on with the storyline! Hope you enjoy it, and as always - *smiling sweetly* - read and review! ^_^;;  
  
  
  
The three boys sat frozen in their seats as Peter slowly rose from the sofa. He stood beside it, twitching nervously and looking every bit as shocked as they did.  
  
Sirius quickly came to his senses. "It's nothing, Peter," he covered. "You don't know what you heard--"  
  
"Don't know what I heard?" muttered Peter, staring back suspiciously. "I think I do."  
  
"No," Remus pleaded. "Please... you've misunderstood..."  
  
"Oh, so James and Sirius aren't trying to master advanced transfiguration then?" Seeing the questioning looks on the others' faces, he went on. "I-I'm tired of other people telling me to mind my own business," he stuttered. He had to struggle to keep his voice steady, but his beady eyes were defiant. "I came back here after talking to Professor Toadstool. It's not my fault I just happened to overhear. Whatever it is you're doing, I don't like the sound of it, not a bit - and I'll... I'll..."  
  
_No!_ he thought. _Why now?_ Why did his voice choose that particular moment to falter? Why did his mind go blank then and there? He knew he had to do something - he had to do the right thing, but something was stopping him. He just wasn't strong enough.  
  
"You'll what? Tell the headmaster?" Sirius almost smirked at this, but Remus and James exchanged worried glances. Peter stood before them, looking at the floor, still mumbling. "I'll... I'll..."  
  
"What do we do know?" whispered James to his friends, horrified. This _definetly_ had not been part of their ingenious plan.  
  
Remus squeezed his eyes shut, hoping he was doing the right thing. He took a deep breath. "Now, Peter, listen - you've got it all wrong. You have to understand." Peter looked up uncertainly, meeting Remus' soft gray eyes. Remus tried to think of the right thing to say, but couldn't quite seem to reach it. He bit his lower lip, a slight queasy feeling in his stomach, as he thought.  
  
Finally, he uttered in a barely-audible whisper, his eyes like cold, icy stone: "...can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Maybe you had better sit down," said James, catching on. Peter winced. "Er... this is... really bad, isn't it?"  
  
"No, Peter, not if you don't say anything about it," said Remus urgently. There wasn't anything else that needed to be said, and Peter didn't need to be told twice. He sat down in a chair nearer to those of his classmates, his gaze fixed upon Remus as the boy began to recount his sorrowful tale. Remus reached what was, for him, a very terrifying part of the story.  
  
"...and, you see, I was so young - I couldn't find my way back out of the forest. I called out to my parents, but I was too far off. They couldn't hear me. I remember being chased by what looked to me like a rather large wild dog." Remus shuddered. "It was just too fast for me. I stumbled and fell, and the next thing I knew, I was... well, see, I was..."  
  
"Y-You were what?" asked Peter fearfully, bracing himself for the answer.  
  
Remus sighed. "Next thing I knew, it had caught up to me. There was this pain, pain like I've never felt" - he lifted an arm to his left shoulder - "it had bitten me, about here, blood everywhere, pain shooting down my arm..." He winced and went incredibly pale, his eyes brimming with deep sadness and ache. The scars were nothing to Remus' bitter memories of the past. He hated to relive them, felt like crawling under a rock, felt like just closing his eyes and shutting out the rest of the world. He had been deprived of a fair chance at life, at love, at success. He'd never know what it was like.  
  
Remus' stormy eyes flashed. His voice was softer, more distant, as he resumed telling his story. "It would have more than just _bitten_ me, too," he said, "if it weren't for my father. He'd been following my voice, trying to catch up with me, and as soon as he saw what was happening, he managed to hit the beast with quite a powerful curse - didn't kill it, but distracted it, and it was hurt just bad enough. It ran off and left me there, bleeding." He grimaced. "Yes, it would have more than just bitten me. I have no doubt in my mind it would have killed me, without hesitation. But the bite was enough."  
  
Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat, breathing more rapidly than usual. "...Enough?" he sputtered, his voice full of fear.  
  
"Yes," Remus nodded. "I was bitten by a werewolf, Peter."  
  
Peter sat bolt upright, not moving a muscle.  
  
"Oh," he squeaked. "A werewolf. Is that all?" And with that, his eyes rolled back in his head, he leaned forward out of his seat, and collapsed in a heap on the floor. He was out cold.  
  
"Er... so," said Sirius, breaking the tense silence. "I think he took it rather well. Don't you?"  
  
  
  
Peter woke up to cold water being splashed on his face. He opened one eye and looked up. A stream of the water trickled down from James' wand, a trick he had learned in Charms that week. He grinned when the charm worked successfully, but it was a nervous sort of grin.  
  
Remus helped Peter to his feet. "You fainted," he stated as Peter rubbed his eyes, looking disoriented. Suddenly he stared at Remus as if he had just noticed his classmates' presence, and began to back away. "It... it's true, then?" he breathed. "I mean... did I _really_ lose it when I blacked out, or... did you just tell me you're a--"  
  
"A werewolf," Remus finished. Peter looked ready to faint again.  
  
"Nope!" Sirius grunted, rushing to Peter's side and helping Remus hold him up by the arms. "You've got to stay with us this time. You can't keep fainting like that."  
  
They brought him over to his chair again and set him down, as his limbs didn't seem to want to work. "Peter," said James. "Do you remember what we--"  
  
"I remember," said Peter quietly, averting his gaze. He seemed to be weighing his options. Remus hoped he hadn't made a mistake in telling him, and silently wished he hadn't, but then again... Peter just didn't seem the type to let him down. All James and Sirius knew about him was that he was usually a little nervous, but all around a nice guy. He'd talked to them on the Hogwarts Express.  
  
"Is it... safe... when you transform?" Peter questioned, still looking down at the floor. "No," replied Remus. "But Dumbledore and I have it all worked out. No one else even needs to worry about it, as long as I am where I'm supposed to be when the full moon rises." Peter looked confused, but said nothing. Suddenly, he remembered something _else_ he had heard.  
  
"Why do you two want to learn to turn into animals?" he asked, looking up and nodding at James and Sirius.  
  
"It's this thing we read about," said Sirius, trying to reveal just enough while not telling everything. There would be time for that later. Maybe. As long as Peter kept his word... "We... er, it has to do with Remus... werewolves won't attack animals, just people, and, er..."  
  
"You're going to try and be with him when he's in his werewolf form?"  
  
The other three were taken aback. Peter almost smiled at his cleverness.  
  
"Yes," James murmured. "But you have to promise you aren't going to tell. You have to give your word, Peter." He needed to end dramatically. What to say? "...'cause, you know - _lives_ depend on it." It wasn't a threat, but a desperate plea. "Please, Peter. We need you to keep this to yourself. Can we trust you?"  
  
After some time, Peter nodded wearily. He glanced at Remus, James, and Sirius as he answered. "...I won't tell anyone."  
  
  
  



	10. Mustardseed and the Midnight Marauding

The Marauders: In the Beginning  
Chapter Ten: Mustardseed and the Midnight Marauding  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: As always, everything from HP belongs to its almighty creator J. K. Rowling, not me. Cheers to her. *raises butterbeer*  
  
  
  
One week later, the four of them - James, Sirius, and Remus, now joined by Peter - were huddled together under James' invisibility cloak. Secret after-hours trips to the library had quickly become a habit. It was difficult work navigating the dark hallways, not to mention trying to conceal four young boys under a cloak just large enough for a grown man.  
  
But they had a large stack of books that needed to be returned before their absence from the restriced section was noticed, so they continued to struggle through the unnerving still of night. The eerie silence was occasionally broken by muffled cries of "Ouch, James!" or "Oi, geroff - that's my foot!" It was one of their more challenging voyages, but eventually, they reached their destination.  
  
As soon as they got to the restricted section, they immediately threw off the invisibility cloak. As Peter crossed under the velvet ropes, he stumbled and nearly fell, but Remus caught his elbow and pulled him back up. Then Remus scrambled under the ropes as well, and took the books from James so he could do the same. Sirius followed. Peter took the lantern from Sirius and held it as steadily as he could while James replaced the books upon the shelf.  
  
James picked up a thick volume and glanced down at the spine. "Mustardseed, Mathilda," he read. "This one's written by Mustardseed, Mathilda... so it'd be about... _here._" He shoved the book back onto the shelf and grabbed another from the pile.  
  
"Hurry up!" whispered Peter impatiently. "My arm's getting tired!" He shifted the lantern so he was holding it in his left hand instead of his right.  
  
"I _am_ hurrying!" retorted James. "I have to put them in their proper places, you know, I can't just--"  
  
"Quiet!" Sirius hissed. He and Remus, having distinctly heard the distant sound of approaching footsteps, were looking fearfully towards the entrace of the library. "Someone's coming!"  
  
James' jaw dropped. "But we haven't even been here five minutes!" he gasped. "I still have to put away the rest of the--"  
  
He didn't get to finish. In one seeminingly connected movement, Remus crouched low to the ground to put the books down, Peter fell backwards over him, and Sirius grabbed James by the arm to pull him down to the floor. He hurriedly grabbed the cloak and tossed it over himself and his friends. Then, they waited there, the sound of footsteps drawing ever-nearer. After a few minutes, a man of about thirty poked his head into the room.  
  
"Filch!?" exclaimed Peter a little too loudly. Sirius clamped a hand over Peter's mouth to keep him quiet. Too late! Filch jerked his head around, staring in their direction. His eyes narrowed as if he could see right through the cloak. He slowly approached the spot where the boys hid. One more step and he'd knock right into them.  
  
Remus prepared himself. _It's been a nice year so far,_ he thought. What was next? The penalty would be far worse than detention. Remus squeezed his eyes shut, biting his lower lip. _Oh, please don't let him find us,_ he begged silently. _Please... just go away... please..._  
  
He opened his eyes when he realized Filch had stopped. The man stood directly in front of them, glancing around suspiciously, nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. "Could've sworn they came in here," he muttered. A good ten seconds later, he seemed no more or less satisfied, but he hadn't found any signs of students hiding in the library. He turned and left, pausing at the doorway. Then he shook his head and stalked off.  
  
From their place in front of the restricted shelf, the boys spotted a small animal hurrying towards Filch. "Come along, my sweet," he said, scooping up a tiny kitten with tangled fur. "They're trying to hide from us, but we won't let them, will we?" It let out a raspy yet affectionate "meow," purring and nuzzling Filch's face. The boys stifled their laughter as Filch headed down the corridor with the kitten in his arms.  
  
"Filch has a cat?" James laughed. Peter was unable to contain his amusement at this, and let out a loud chuckle under Sirius' hand. Even Remus was smirking.  
  
Sirius couldn't help grinning, but he quickly said, "Alright, now, come on. Quiet down. Let's not forget why we came here in the first place!"  
  
"_Seriously_," said James. He started to laugh at his own pun, but was silenced when he received Sirius' elbow right between the ribs.  
  
  
  
Later that night, Remus was having trouble sleeping. Through the curtains drawn around his bed, he could hear the faint snores of the other boys. They were all fast asleep.  
  
But for some reason, he couldn't. He felt so stupid - how could anything possibly be troubling him? He had three great friends. They'd included him in numerous adventures, and no matter how close they came, never _once_ got caught. For the first time in years, he was truly happy. Yet every night, he still lay awake, guilt-stricken and unable to sleep.  
  
Each moment spent with his friends was like a dream, and Remus was horrified at the idea of waking up to discover that's all it had been. He was unable to fully enjoy the fun while it lasted, and he always felt weighted down by an overwhelming sense of apprehension that he just couldn't seem to shake off.  
  
The one thing he was constantly dreading was that one incident that would throw off the delicate balance of his life. For instance, what if they were caught? Even the smallest part of their plan, if revealed, could mean the end of their Hogwarts days. It was an anchor that pulled at him night and day, an alarm bell just waiting to go off. And when it did, he'd have to face reality. He'd have to wake up.  
  



End file.
